Money Power and Respect
by beastmode953
Summary: Have you ever questioned your purpose in life?  Ever thought what little changes you would've made could've altered your destiny completely? i have.  Giovannix Delia slight advanceshipping oneshot or story. Havent decided yet M for death


This story or oneshot will foreshadow some events in my "Return With Avengeance" story. Whether or not you read it wouldn't matter. So leave a review and hope you love it. I wasnt satisfied with how my last chapter from the other story went after i posted it so havent decided yet if i want to make this a oneshot to tie to my other story or to make it a completely different story altogether. Let me know what you think

Thank you to **Luciferix **and **Kokinatsuyosa no Kage **for all their patience in helping me to become the writer i want to be. Check out their stories also.

Also thanks to** itssupereffective, The Shiny Gengar and Pichuauraguardian18 **for their reviews and updating their stories regularly

A man of quite some stature sat in a plush red chair in a large, majestic parlor, the room illuminated only by what little moonlight seeped through the half-closed drapes. In his right hand he held a glass of red wine, and one could tell he had had a little bit too much to drink, especially because there was already a stain on the glass from previous drinks. By the man's side was his loyal feline Pokémon, his beloved Persian. The man was beginning to sink into a drunken stupor, rambling to the empty air about his lot in life, with the Persian as his only witness.

"I wanted the money, power, and respect. To be honest I don't even know why." He paused, taking a sip from the glass before continuing.

"Maybe it was the way I was raised. I loved my mother and took after her. Even though she called me 'brat' and other far worse things, I longed for her approval. It's not as easy as one thinks to be born into royalty," he took a shaky breath. "Well at least, when it came to crime we were. I had to prove myself time and time again but nothing was ever good enough for her. The bitch died in a mission. Her greed got the best of her. She left me riches beyond a person's wildest dreams but like her, greed got the best of me, and I fell into the same trap. She led me down the same damnable path, which is probably why I strive for money." The Persian yowled in concern at his master's behavior, but Giovanni only snapped at him to be quiet before continuing his monologue.

"The power didn't come from her. It was something that I grew onto myself as time passed by. When she passed I took over. Right now after 50 years, my organization reigns supreme. Team Magma and Aqua collapsed, but we stayed steady. We were the first crime syndicate to form in any region. They are a mere canoe to our ship. They say that imitation is a form of flattery, so it doesn't matter to me. Team Rocket remains almighty and powerful, and I alone lead it."

"Some may think I was born into this role. I admit I was, in one sense, but with great power comes great responsibility. However, I was required to rise through the ranks like any other, because how could I lead even the lowest Grunt if I had no knowledge of their endeavors? I arose from the lowest ranks of the organization to stand alone and supreme and all of my subordinates tremble in fear before me." Realizing his glass was empty, the orange-suited man shakily poured himself another glass.

"I can't order a grunt around without knowing the precautions of the mission, of course. I've been through it and experienced these things myself; therefore I have a reason to be tough on some of these idiots. But one cannot have power without also possessing the virtues of discipline and respect..." His voice trailed off, and for a moment the Persian thought that his master's habit had caused him to finally fall into a period of much needed rest, but Giovanni suddenly began again.

"The elites my mom left behind never gave it. Respect, that is. I was required to earn it. From bottom up I raised this company. It was my persistency and consistency that acquired that respect..." the Persian eased his silken head beneath the hand that had fallen from the arm of the chair to dangle limply near him, and the crime lord scratched weakly, and without conscious thought.

"The money, power and respect. It commanded my life; it was what lived for, what I still live for. If I was to die tonight, that would be the legacy I would leave. If someone would have asked me last night, I would have been okay with that, but after what I found out today I may reconsider my options." A yowl of confusion passed the Persian's lips, but his master didn't seem to hear him.

"It all started nineteen years ago. I was sent on a mission, I was recruiting for some new members of the organization. We were aggressively expanding at that point and I needed to grow my team so I could move up in the ranks." The Persian fell silent. Something in his master's tone was unlike anything he had ever heard from him before. Giovanni's tone was oddly hushed, as if he were reminiscing of something different than the life he had lived in the eyes of the world, something...more.

"I met someone...while I was prospecting. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, and to this day, no woman has every surpassed her. She had beautiful brown hair and pigtails." He took another shaky breath, another sip of wine. "Her name was Delia, and she wanted to be a model. She was a little slow and ditzy at times, but at others, so very intelligent and persistent. I charmed her, manipulated her emotions, and played her heartstrings like the most glorious harp in existence, but somewhere along the line, I lost myself. I lost myself in what was fantasy, what was an elaborate act, and what was real, and I fell in love, we were in love. But this life... It wasn't the life for her, nor was I the man, and there was an argument, words and blows were exchanged, and then, it was over.

"I heard that she found another, by the name of Silver Ketchum, and she was lost to me forever. They had a child together, I heard." Suddenly, something in Giovanni seemed to snap as his thick hand constricted about the wine bottle, pouring the last of its contents into his glass.

"But what I found out today was by any means the most fucked up thing I've ever heard. Silver was not the kid's father. He just married her so the kid wouldn't be a bastard. This kid as a matter of fact has been chased by my guys for some time now. I never really bothered. Bother the fucking kid. I hate his father, or at least I thought I did. This whole time I was his father. He thinks that bastard is his dad." He hurled the empty wine bottle against the wall as he barked a short laugh. "Not to worry the fucker's dead. Burned and killed by the very Pokémon he sought to find and battle. I had a Moltres clone after him." Giovanni snarled in the darkness as he laughed bitterly. "Payback's a bitch. Now I know I'm the father of the kid I had attempted to get assassinated." The wine glass soon joined the bottle as it too was hurled away.

"It hurt dearly when I saw Delia today. She would never forgive me. The closest I ever had to a kid was 009, to be honest. She reminds me a lot of Delia. She is so sweet and a little ditzy at times but to be honest she's all the family I have. I don't even know if she does her work to get it done or to please me but somehow she always finds a way..." Finding himself standing, Giovanni slumped back into his chair again.

"That boy...my son, is alive. I've seen him fight. He seems to be completely grown up. Everything about him took a 180 degree turn. I see my ambition in his eyes. The way they glimmer and shine. The way he looks at the Petalburg Gym Leader's daughter. Much like I did with his mother. The brown haired firm is as sweet and innocent as Delia was when we were younger. He truly has inherited my taste in women. It's just sad that I can't hug you or come near you. Ash..." he whispered the boy's name in a broken whisper so low that his Persian almost failed to hear it. "You have no idea who I really am to you. That fucking bastard Silver. May he burn in hell. And on top of that you seek to kill me. That really hurts. If I never left Delia I would've raised you. Everything would be much different. Maybe I wouldn't feel so empty. I would feel love and give it to my child like my own mother never gave me. Even Domino's parents would still be alive. They would've never died and joined Team Rocket. The promise of money, power and respect would've never been promised. So I have nothing now. That's the life I would've lived. All I have left is my money, power and respect." He turned suddenly and noticed his Pokémon still there. "It's truly not worth it Persian I wish I can change it. I'm frustrated. You know what? I need some alone time. "

Giovanni took out a Pokéball and returned Persian without the Pokémon's consent. Striding over to a drawer in the darkness, he placed the ball on top before rummaging through the shelves in search of something important...


End file.
